Contents - Beth Lesser

his biggest hit was with a singer, Jah Thomas’ years of dancehall exposure gave
him a special knack for working with deejays. Thomas had the ear to pick a
solid old standard to refurbish, and a feel for what the fans would react to.
This first-hand experience helped him produce hits like Peter Metro’s ‘Seven
Heroes’ and ‘Calypso Calypso’ (with Zuzu), Buro Banton’s ‘MC Peggy’
and some of Early B’s strongest material including ‘Sunday Dish’, ‘Wheely
Wheely’, ‘Ghost Busters’, ‘Call the Doctor for Me’, ‘History of Jamaica’ and
‘Learn fe Drive’.
But it was his work with Tristan Palma that has had the most lasting response.
Thomas released a total of four LPs with Tristan in the early eighties,
each one containing major hits. Entertainment and Joker Smoker, LP title
tracks, were huge successes, and the LP, Showcase, contained two more sound
system favorites, ‘Miserable Woman’ and ‘Runaround Woman’ * . The forth
LP, Touch Me, Take Me, had ‘Reggae Music Taking Over’.
Currently, his son Orville Thomas is carrying on the tradition as Da’Ville,
a multi award winning reggae entertainer, but as a singer, not a deejay.
* ‘Runaround Woman’ was voiced over still another version of the ‘Shank I Shek’ rhythm, the same
rhythm that formed the base for ‘Entertainment’. Thomas later admitted it was his favorite rhythm.
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